‘We either win or we don’t’: Ros Canter reflects on her decision to pull up on Badminton cross-country

Ros Canter was philosophical as she spoke about her retirement from Mars Badminton Horse Trials with Izilot DHI. They left the startbox with a 2pen lead having led the dressage on 25.3, with Ros in line to join the elite few who have won back-to-back Badminton titles should all go according to plan. However, she had already made her intentions clear that while she would “go out meaning business”, she wouldn’t be afraid to “call it a day” if things weren’t going smoothly.

After activating a frangible device at the wall going into the Mars Badminton Lake (fence 10), Izilot spooked at the fence dressing on the far bank and ran past the final element. Ros retired – but not before schooling him over the large brush fences on the long route in front of a packed-out lakeside crowd.

Ros Canter reflects on Badminton retirement

“I am very philosophical and positive about the whole thing,” Ros said. “It was always going to be a question mark as to how Izilot was going to cope with the day today, and he didn’t quite cope with it. He went pretty spooky just on the run-up to the water, and that set the tone.

“And that’s what happens with Isaac, once he’s lost it, suddenly lots of things that aren’t usually spooky become very spooky. And that’s fine. He’s a class horse, I think the world of him. He’s one of the world’s best –we know what he’s like; he’s been like this all along.

“We either win or we don’t, and when we don’t, we do it in fairly dramatic fashion, so at least we are remembered one way or another!”

Izilot DHI won both Blenheim CCI4*-L and Pau CCI5* last season.

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Martha Terry

H&H features editor

Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.